Darlene Hanson holds a Master of Arts in Communication Disorders from Whittier College in California. She is a Training Coordinator at DVU, co-hosting the Communication Access Connect and other groups at DVU.

In Southern California, Darlene runs a private practice, specializing in communication development for individuals and their support networks. Her background includes work in public schools, private practice, and as a Director of Communication Services for a Non-Profit.

As a speech and language pathologist, she conducts assessments in speech, language, and augmentative communication. Darlene has been a Master Trainer for Facilitated Communication Training since 1991 and contributed to the Best Practice Standards for Facilitated Communication Training by the Institute for Communication and Inclusion at Syracuse University.

Darlene also serves as a Board Member of the Wellspring Guild and has co-authored research and articles, including “Investigation of Authorship in Facilitated Communication” in the Journal of Mental Retardation (Aug. 1996).